Friday, December 29, 2017

Enough of the plush life, our next two nights were in unheated tents. Brrrr! I love that my fantastic girls consider this an adventure, not a hardship. Wool blankets piled on double-sets of sleeping bags help.

Starting the day with a hike on a historic road and then play on the frozen golf course

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Oldest continuously operating hotel in Ca, but actually built several decades after our own house. Wow, how's that for perspective on our own little piece of history? I'd never stayed there before and we had a lovely time exploring the hotel, sitting by the fire in the lounge, and enjoying the very beautiful Christmas decor.

Saturday, December 23, 2017

The girls had a wonderful time, as usual, in the tribes of Napthali, Judah, and then Levi, one each night. They gave coins to visitors to "pay their taxes," learned Hebrew at the temple, made and sold bread and nuts in the market, forged metal, watched dancers while playing dreidel, held animals, and adored the baby Jesus. The organizers do an amazing job turning an empty lot into a living history experience for the participants and thousands of visitors.

Thursday, December 21, 2017

The girls were a team and the outcome was a tie, with the other team (their cousins) winning in some of the categories. The speeches were a surprise though and both teams did great jobs. I don't have the other speech, but K's follows. Fun, festive evening...

"Friends, family... well I guess just family, I
present to you a groundbreaking expression of the Christmas season: the
Santa represents joy and love, the red windows symbolize a warm
welcoming home, and finally the lights represent Jesus. We believe we have
what it takes to win in all three categories ( creativity, beauty/
festivity, use of candy). Just think of the breathtaking, mouthwatering,
marshmallow roof, the fake candy lights, the Red Vine lined roof, you
get the point. I believe you will vote your heart, let's see if you
believe we can win! Thank you!"

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Our Middle School Religious Education class was tasked with organizing the crafts for the parish Christmas party, no small task! They didn't think small either, working in groups and then voting on all of the ideas. They decided on slime, ornament decorations (two types) and a finger painting project. The slime was the top hit, with the words, "the glue is gone; must mean the party is over' surprising me toward the end of the party. (Never thought I'd say that!) Both kids and parents stayed longer at the party because of the crafts, which is our true measure of success: building community. Hurrah!

I feel like I am missing something... something we did, plus (always) something we ought to have done.... Our spring will include some of the same and some new... much to look forward to (though now just resting is what I am looking forward to - no more final presentations, no need to prep for Religious Ed, no classes to prep for or grade... whew!)

Sunday, December 17, 2017

G and her group created a play, an imaginary interview with John Hanson, the first person to serve a full, elected term as President of the United States under the Articles of Confederation (pre Constitution). K didn't want to show hers yet - her group was out sick and their research/presentation is incomplete, but they looked at the Puritan perspectives on Native Americans. Hers was inspired by a cryptic editorial comment in one primary source book that mentioned that some people objected to sailing to the Americas based on the concern that "others had long occupied these lands." Who were these concerned objectors, their voices ultimately overruled?

Thursday, December 14, 2017

I was woken in the middle of the night with both of G's hands on my head, pulling at me. She complained, "it's stuck!" apparently upset that she couldn't get my head to separate from my body. I woke right up (uh, yeah!) and told her, "yes, and I like it that way." She giggled and went back to sleep and by light of day can't remember what she was dreaming or thinking....
We got a laugh out of that this morning! :-)

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

K's class is in charge of the crafts for the parish Christmas party. Are these ornaments cool enough? Santa's belt, a snowman, and Rudolph (is it bad that I feel the need to explain them?) I think that they are cute, though crafts aren't my thing. My hope is that the Middle School kids enjoy coordinating and that the other kids have fun with these and the three others that the class elected to do (slime, fingerprint lights, and rainbow snowflakes.)

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Well done, G (with some technical and voice support from K). For G: Three final presentations down (math, anatomy, sociology), two to go (history, herpetology); for K, two down (The Tempest, astronomy), one to go (history). Our academic Advent (season of preparation) winds down...

Saint Agatha Lin Academy

Our school's name was selected after discussion and research by and with our students (children) and their teacher/ admin/ parents. St. Agatha Lin was a Chinese female educator and honoring her recognizes our Catholicism, the female makeup of our core students, and the interest that they have in learning to speak Mandarin.

This blog captures our social activities, field trips, special events, family interests, and (sometimes) random thoughts; our educational philosophy, curriculum choices, and general approach are described HERE.

Favorite Reflections

A tribute to our friend Mary Donovan Kansora, who passed away in December 2011. A reflection on the many ways that her life affected ours, the journey into our next life, and the reasons that we miss her so.